2014 State of Origin

Lyon should be above Hayne. Also think Ferguson is a bit high.

 

Mm. Thought so.

 

I know I harp on about it a fair bit but NSW's kicking game has got to improve. I remember from the replays Gould saying the Roosters combination had forced the least amount of goal line dropouts of any halves pairing. I suppose that's to be expected to a limited extent as they probably didn't need to force repeats sets as often as some others but that shit still needs to improve big time. If it doesn't, and they're not gonna look at Carney or Mullen for halfback and instead go for Reynolds, you'd have to think at least he'd offer a great short-kicking game. The cunt is useless in all other facets but at least he might be able to build some pressure.

Along with selecting Pearce/Maloney again, another thing that I'll probably find hilarious is if they go with Hayne at fullback and once again inexplicably neglect his long kicking game. Surely that's gotta come into the equation.

 

Who are your halves, btw, Magic?

 

So you were against both Williams and Buhrer? Were you outspoken at the time? Man, would've loved to have seen that.

 

So you think Sezer is a better halfback than Pearce?

 

Based on your rather specific criteria of what NSW should be looking for in a halfback, I actually think it does.

 

Is there a number below absolute zero?

 

By the by, who in their right mind was advocating Maloney to play halfback for NSW?

 

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...nd-james-maloney/story-fni3fqyo-1226755973361

"They had copped an awful lot or criticism, of which some was very unfair I thought.

"Mitch certainly did nothing wrong and at the back end of the year he was the best halfback for NSW. If he starts well next season then I see no reason why he won't be there again."

Pearce did nothing wrong? Well I would draw Daley's attention to two rather crucial moments. The first was in the 54th minute after NSW made a sizeable break down QLD's right side with Jennings and Hoffman linking up. With two tackles remaining, Pearce received the ball at second receiver about 20m out with an absolute wealth of time and space in front of him courtesy of a QLD defence that had only just finished retreating after the aforementioned break. You could see he had too many options running through his mind before finally deciding to grubber. It turned out to be a fizzled nothing of a kick that didn't even penetrate the grateful QLD front line defence.

The second of which came in the 75th minute. NSW had scored only a few minutes earlier getting them within 2 points of possible victory. Receiving the ball at second receiver again, 25m out from QLD's line, Pearce threw a misdirected bullet straight into Dugan's shoulder which ricocheted backwards and cost NSW 15-20 valuable metres. Instead of kicking from what presumably would've been 20-25m out Maloney was forced to put up a bomb from just inside QLD's 40. It didn't end well with Fifita being both offside and tackling the man, Slater, in the air.

I know Daley doesn't want to put shit on his halfback in public and I'm sure in private he's taken stock of these two instances, but you have to be at least somewhat sensible. I don't know how the interviewers could, if they did, restrain their laughter at hearing such a comment. I know I wouldn't have been able to.

 

Just a question I've been pondering for a few years which I know is impossible to answer but it's nonetheless interesting to entertain. How many series do you think NSW would've won if Andrew Johns had played over the last 8 years? Let's say if he'd played these series as the player he was in 06-07. I feel practically certain that the Blues would not have lost 8 in a row. 07 and this year definitely could've gone the Blues way given the opportunities they had with field position, to put some more points on. Personally, I think they would've won 3 of the last 8 and maybe 4. It's like smashing rocks trying to get people to realise just how average Johns's Origin career was compared to what we all saw him orchestrate for so many years at club level, but the difference he would've made to the Blues sides in terms of creativity, kicking and leadership, especially relative to the halves they've been reduced to picking, would've been enormous.

Of course when he went up against quality QLD sides, like that of 98 and 02, he wasn't the god-like player that people imagine him as being; he was outplayed by an aging Langer but still....they surely would've held their own and had much more success than they have with the revolving door of Pearce, Kimmorley, Wallace and Finch. I think 3 or 4 is a pretty fair assessment in what is, I say again, an impossible to predict scenario.